Saint Leo Earns U.S. News & World Report Honors for 2019

    
Saint Leo  University was named as one of the best regional universities and best values in higher education in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges, which was released September 10. In addition, Saint Leo was named one of the Best Colleges for Veterans.

The university was No. 14 among Best Value Schools in the South. To determine which colleges and universities offer the best value for students, U.S. News takes into account both academic quality and cost.

This year, Saint Leo also claimed its spot in the top 50 "Best Regional Universities" and ranked 47th among Southern universities. This rank is up from last year's rank of 61st among universities in the South. Regional universities offer a full range of undergraduate programs and provide graduate education at the master's level. Saint Leo also offers three doctoral programs.

To receive a "Best Value School" ranking, U.S. News calculated the university's academic quality as indicated by its 2019 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, and the 2017-2018 net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. "The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal," U.S. News & Report stated in its listings. "Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically."

The university also was named one of the Best Colleges for Veterans among regional universities in the South, ranking 31st. Saint Leo has a proud military history of educating veterans and military students. Schools named to the list participate in federal initiatives helping veterans and active-duty servicemembers pay for their degrees.

"Saint Leo University provides a terrific educational value for students of all ages and from all backgrounds, and we are pleased that the U.S. News & World Report's rankings recognize the quality and excellence offered by the university," said Dr. Jeffrey D. Senese, university president. "We're proud of our Catholic heritage and commitment to higher education. These rankings point to our student-centered mission, our caring faculty and staff, and our dedication to student success."

For information about Best Colleges 2019, visit https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges

Media Contact: Mary McCoy, University Writer & Media Relations, mary.mccoy02@saintleo.edu, (352) 588-7118 or cell (813) 610-8416